Democrats find comfort in the Chamber of Commerce

In case you don't recognize this guy, he is the Minority Leader of the Democrat Party in Topeka. (See his state profile below) This week a group of Chamber of Commerce members from 14 cities announced that they support an increase in taxes on Middle Class Kansans. The Democrats in congress including several republicans are looking for some form of cover by groups such as the Kansas Chamber of Commerce as a means to increase taxes. We are suppose to think that if the Kansas Chamber of Commerce is for a tax increase we all need to open our wallets like good little sheep. Obviously they say the tax increase will only effect the rich. The state government will be flush with cash. We are running a $400 million dollar deficit this year, and we had at least a 400 million dollar deficit last year. So if we raise taxes on the middle class, (you and me) and should we have another 400 million dollar deficit next year then what. Will the chamber suggest another tax increase. My friends if your not listening and engaged in the discussion you are going to get picked blind. What is another $40 or $50 bucks a month in taxes for our politicians to spend. But that isn't where it is going to stop. You have local and counties wanting there cut too. There is already a push by local and county governments to raise any tax possible. They are already artificially propping up property values in order to keep the property tax flowing. Who is paying those property taxes. You got it, the middle class.

I have included the list of businesses who are members of the chamber. Since the chamber speaks for these businesses they also are in favor of a tax increase on the middle class. I strongly suggest you find the phone number and email for these Kanss Buusinesses and suggest to them that if the Kansas Chamber of Commerce is promoting a tax increase on the average Kansan than you may reconsider doing business with chamber members.

The deal with the Chamber was cut by Paul Davis and the democrat party leaders. He figures that your not listening and therefore don't care that this backroom deal will cost you plenty in new taxes. If your in favor of additional taxes on you and the rest of the middle class in Kansas you are fine. I hope your like me however and wondering what the hell are these people thinking and where is the common sense. My cost of living is changing. I have less discretionary spending then any time in my life and you are going to increase my taxes?

Paul Davis

Kansas House Democrat
District 46 (District Map,District Demographics)
First Term: 2003
Minority Leader



1731 Indiana Spouse: Stephanie

Capitol Office
Room: 359-W
Phone: 785-296-7630
Email: paul.davis@house.ks.gov

Committee Membership
Calendar and Printing
Time: On Call
*R.M. Member, Legislative Budget
Time: On Call
Interstate Cooperation
Time: On Call
Insurance
Time: 3:30 p.m. T/R
Room: 152-S
Lawrence 66044
Phone: 785-749-1942

Business Information
Occupation: Attorney
900 Massachusetts, Suite 601
Lawrence 66044
785-331-0300
785-331-0303

Adecco – The Employment People
ALDI, Inc.
Allen Gibbs & Houlik LC
American Eagle Outfitters
American Justice Partnership
Ash Grove Cement
Associated Advertising Agency
Atmos Energy
Auth-Florence Manufacturing
Bayer Construction Company, Inc.
Best Buy Co., Inc.
Black & Veatch
BP America
Board of Public Utilities
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Burns & McDonnell
Buzzi Unicem USA
Cereal Food Processors Inc.
Children’s Mercy Hospital
Cobalt Boats
Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Mid-America
The Coleman Company
Commerce Bank & Trust
Commerce Bank, N.A.
Crossland Construction Co.,
Dillard’s, Inc.
DLM Foods L.L.C.
Dold Foods, Inc.
Dolese Bros. Company
Duckwall-Alco Stores, Inc.
Emprise Bank
EnerSys
The Fagan Company
Farmers Alliance Companies
Farmland Foods, Inc.
FHLBank Topeka
Fort Hays State University
Fuller Brush Company
GARMIN International, Inc.
General Electric
General Motors Corporation
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
Grandview Products Co., Inc.
Great Plains Manufacturing
Hallmark Cards, Inc.
HCA – Midwest Division
Hinkle Elkouri Law Firm LLC
The Home Depot
Honeywell
Huhtamaki
ICM, Inc.
ITC Great Plains
Jayhawk Plastics, Inc.

Kansas Hospital Association
Kansas Medical Mutual Ins.
Kennedy and Coe, LLC Certified Public Accountants & Consultants

Kiewit Power Engineers Co.
Kwik Shop, Inc.
Lafarge North America
Lake Point Nursing Center
Landoll Corporation
Lathrop & Gage L.C.
Lawrence Memorial Hospital
The Lawrence Paper Company
Liberty Fruit Company
Lowen Corporation
LSI Logic
Lynn Electric & Communications
Macy’s Midwest
Medicalodges, Inc.
MGP Ingredients, Inc.
Midway Wholesale
Midwest Health Services, Inc.
Midwest Minerals, Inc.
Monarch Cement Company
National Cooperative Refinery
Occidental Chemical Corporation
The P & G Manufacturing Co.
Payless ShoeSource
Philips Lighting Company
PhRMA
Pioneer Communications
Polsinelli, Shalton, Flanigan, Suelthaus PC
Professional Eng. Consultants
Protection One
Reynolds American Inc.
Sands Kansas
Sauder Custom Fabricators
Sauer-Danfoss
Schwan’s Food Mfg.
Seaboard Foods
Sears Roebuck & Company
Security Benefit
Shook, Hardy & Bacon
St. Luke’s Health System
Standard Beverage Corp.
Stormont-Vail Health Care
Sunflower Bank
Sunflower Electric Cooperatives
Target Corporation
Time Warner Cable
Tri-State Generation & Transmission Assn.
UMB Bank
Union Pacific Corporation
UnitedHealthcare
University of Kansas Hospital
UPS
US Bank
Vektek Inc.
Waddell & Reed, Inc.
Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.

I hope my congressman is squirming!

It was reported in the news today that democrat congressmen were receiving threats because of their vote on the health care bill. Certainly we don't want violence toward our law makers but I don't have any problem if they squirm a great deal. Our representatives have had it way to easy for way to long. Americans pretty much checked out of the political debate until now. Things are changing. If a representative or senator is sitting down for dinner at a restaurant they should wonder if an American citizen is going to come up and challenge their voting record. It simply is ridiculous to think that less than 600 individuals in congress think they can pass laws that affect 300 million Americans of which 200 million Americans disagree and not have someone in their face. They do their work behind close doors. These political hacks see the anger of their constituents and use it as an excuse to cancel meetings and hide. The halls of congress have been absent of the middle class American citizen for long enough. The congressional club on the hill is going to be a rough place. Congress needs to be accountable for their vote. I wish them all peace but I don't wish them calm. Lets hope the average American gets some common sense and open and can of whip ass on the clowns on capital hill! I don't want to hear the whining from Washington or Topeka.

Will our next governor of Kansas talk out of both sides of his face also?

Who will be our next governor? This is a pretty important question. For me I want our next governor to understand one issue clearly. I am taxed to the limit and I can't give any more. I can't afford another dime for schools. When it comes to school funding, all other agencies aren't even in the same universe! I can't afford any more taxes for social services. I can't afford another dime in taxes for the fear of losing my middle class status. The Kansas legislature is full of people who have lost all hope of common sense. Did you know that unemployment rose nearly 1% in February 2010 to 7.3% yet a vast number of representatives mostly democrats but including way too many republicans announced a push to raise taxes on those who are lucky enough to have their job . Where is the common sense. More Kansans than ever are out of working. There are thousands more in Kansas who worry about keeping their jobs. Many in Kansas want relief but they don't want to have to sale their soul to the government. The very people we send to Washington and Topeka see raise taxes on Kansans during the worst economic train wreck in modern history as an after thought. Kansans are making do with less but government wants to chug along like there isn't a care in the world. The people we send to Topeka and Washington DC need to get in line and understand that they cannot tax us and expect Kansans to fund government programs at the same level we did over the past 10 years. Sharpen you pens and rewrite the budget because we cannot afford the insanity. The pain isn't going to be only the taxpayer. The recipient of those tax dollars need to hear the message loud and clear.


Yesterday Kansas State Senator and the democratic candidate for Kansas governor Tom Holland lashed out at the republican candidate for governor and our current Senator in Washington DC, Sam Brownback. He stated that "Sam Brownback is out of touch with the needs of the state of Kansas". Senator Brown back voted against a 100 billion dollar spending bill that would provide $130 million dollars to Kansas to fund Medicaid and unemployment. The democrat Holland stated that "Brownback has no concept on how to balance the state budget". "The Washington way of saying no and never offering solutions won't work in Kansas". The republican candidate for governor, Sam Brownback responded "We already have a record deficit of $1.56 trillion dollars this year and this bill would have added over $100 billion, which is grossly unfair to our children and grandchildren." The definition of deficit is: the amount by which government expenditure exceeds income from taxation, customs duties, etc., in any one fiscal year.


Statements by these two candidates need to be interpreted very carefully. In the process take into consideration the definition of deficit.


Kansas has a deficit of about $400 million dollars. Kansas has to have a balanced budget by June 30th, 2010. Why you ask; because our constitution says that the budget has to be balanced at the end of each year. The budget in Kansas starts in July and ends in June. Mr Holland wants the 130 million in new taxes from Washington to help balance the Kansas budget. He wants you to believe that since the money comes from Washington DC it isn't a tax on the Kansas tax payer. Mr. Holland wants to borrow money to pay a debt. So we have another 130 million to spend in Kansas but Kansan's pay another 130 million of additional taxes to Washington DC. Now that is creative not to mention deceitful. Senator Brownback voted against the $100 billion dollar tax increase and therefore attempted to block new federal tax dollars coming to Kansas. So we have a choice to make. Are we going to elect a politician who says getting money from Washington isn't a tax so we can use it to expand government spending in Kansas. Or should we elect a politician who says we can't afford to take out another loan because we are already broke. From a purely common sense point of view who would you prefer handling your checkbook in today's economic environment.

Congressman, whats your email address

It's time to get back in touch with your congressman and senator. To effectively communicate with either you need two things. Their email address and phone number. Lets face it, for the most part the days of putting your pen to paper and writing them a letter is pretty much over. Since my trust level of congress is at an all time low, I know one thing for sure. My email may not always get their attention but it does get to them. You mail a letter and who knows. My project this week is to go to the Kansas State official website and begin the process of copying the entire house of representatives and the senate names, emails and profiles to my computer contacts. This allows me easy access to who they are, what party they are with and the committees they sit on. This takes time but this allows me to better express my concerns to my congressman and senator when I hear about some of the legislation being proposed. If it lacks common sense they are going to hear about it. By having these emails available I can also forward them to others.

One of the big reasons the middle class American doesn't get involved in government is because they have been told for years that the issues are to complex. So some including myself pretty much checked out of the debate. The republican and democrat parties both are guilty of promoting this notion. This needs to change now! I just know that it doesn't take an masters degree, a law degree, or a Harvard degree to be a congressman or senator in Topeka or Washington. This is evident by the current bunch in congress. What it does take is common sense. A farmer, teacher, X-ray technologist, lab tech, a mother or father of four, an engineer, car mechanic, a floor clerk at Sears or whoever can be a senator or a representative. It just takes common sense and a love for our country, it values and a sincere belief in limited government established by our founding fathers. How can a car mechanic making $35,0000.00 a year ever stack up against a good lawyer or millionaire. They will be made a fool of in any campaign. I completely disagree. I say that common sense trumps stupidity every time. The harder we work toward a congress that represents middle class common sense America the more common sense we will see in all aspects of our government. A middle class people living in a society of limited government and a free market will be happier and more productive in all aspects of their lives and work. Banking, business, regulations, foreign relations, military strategy, heathcare, you name it will all function better when middle class America is a large part of the discussion and limited government is the goal. Don't sale yourself short. Speak your mind. Clearly government is necessary but government should also be the last resort to societies problems. Your silence is costing you your freedom. The silence is deafening and because you are silent you have stopped demanding common sense. Wake up.

It has been nearly a year since the last time I posted to my blog. I had the intention to express my views and the views of many in a common sense manner. My goal is to get Kansans to realize that they need to stay in touch with what our government is doing, the policies they are promoting and the laws they are writing. My attention span got the best of me and things come up and before long I stopped writing. So here I go again. I hope today is the start of a good thing. This is my attempt to convince the good people of Kansas that you better wake up and pay attention to what is going on around you. You need to be a part of government. We need to put some common sense back into our policies. We need to protect and defend our constitutional right to free speech. We have been silent for so long that our representatives in government take offense to us expressing our opinions as it relates to so many decisions that lack any form of common sense. I hope you will join me in a fresh start. Lets call this "Government 101".